A significant development in two of America’s most notorious cold cases suggests a single individual may have perpetrated both the Zodiac killings and the Black Dahlia murder. Independent investigators, spearheaded by Alex Baber of Cold Case Consultants of America, have pinpointed Marvin Skipton Margolis, also known as Marvin Merrill, as the alleged offender in these historic and unsettling crimes. The findings are currently under review by the FBI and several California police departments.
The Zodiac killer, responsible for at least five murders in northern California between 1968 and 1969, infamously taunted authorities with cryptic letters and ciphers. The Black Dahlia case, dating back to 1947, involved the brutal murder of aspiring actress Elizabeth Short, whose mutilated body was found in Los Angeles. The two cases, separated by decades, have mystified law enforcement and the public alike.
Baber's investigation, which involved the use of artificial intelligence, newly released Census records, and traditional cryptography methods, claims to have uncovered a solution to the 'Z-13' cipher, where the Zodiac purportedly concealed his name. This revelation also linked Margolis to the Black Dahlia case. An ex-chief codebreaker of the NSA has confirmed the validity of this solution.
Margolis was born in Chicago in 1925 and served as a corpsman with the 1st Marine Division during World War II, where he gained medical and marksmanship skills. A grand jury document from the 1949-1950 investigation into Short's murder cited Margolis as one of 22 suspects, based on his medical training and a brief, tumultuous relationship with Short. After becoming a person of interest, Margolis fled Los Angeles, changing his name and residence several times.
The investigation also found that Margolis returned to California shortly before the first confirmed Zodiac attack. Toward the end of his life, after a terminal cancer diagnosis, Margolis reportedly sketched an image featuring a woman named Elizabeth and what appeared to be the concealed word 'Zodiac,' a drawing Baber believes signifies a deathbed confession.
Law enforcement agencies are taking these new findings seriously. Baber has met with California police departments responsible for the Zodiac case and presented evidence to an interagency group, including the FBI. Additionally, members of Baber's team have met with LAPD's Police Chief Jim McDonnell, who has directed his division to assess the Black Dahlia findings.
